The Subtle Bookstore
by Ketchupwings
Summary: Tessa Gray, aspiring novelist, happens to wander into a small, quaint bookstore tucked away from the hustle and bustle of London's streets. There, she meets two boys, one dark-haired, one silver-haired, who catch her intrigue. What will happen? Rated T cuz I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**The idea for this story, like the ideas for so many things I do, came to me in a flash of inspiration, and I've spent the past few days working on and refining this one chapter. I hope you enjoy the product!**

Tessa stepped into the small bookstore. For a moment, she closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of books – a scent that was lost in large bookstore chains like Waterstones or Barnes & Noble. Then she opened her eyes and looked at the shelves that lay before her.

_The Institute Bookstore_. Tessa made it a point to check out every bookstore in the area where she lived, and so far she liked this one best. A subtle bookstore, nestled away in a narrow alleyway. It was only a few yards away from the hustle and bustle of London, and yet it was worlds away. It was so quiet, such a contrast to the speed and hastiness of one of the busiest cities in the world. Here, time stood still. It was the perfect atmosphere to pick up a book and read.

"Lovely," she sighed, running her hands over the spines of well-worn books.

People these days loved enormous bookstore chains with air conditioning and rows and rows and rows of bookshelves selling fresh bestsellers. And that was all well and good, but Tessa felt that small bookstores like these held just as much charm.

Having lived in London for two months now, Tessa could safely say that small bookstores like these were far more common here than they were on the busy streets of Manhattan. That was just one reason why she'd chosen to come here to write her novel.

Pulling one of the books off the shelf, she opened it and began to read.

"_A Tale of Two Cities_. A cliché choice."

Tessa looked up, ready to give a sharp retort, but she stopped short when she saw who had spoken.

Onyx-black hair. Blue eyes, the deepest shade of blue she'd ever seen. Long eyelashes. A tall, well-built figure, with sinewy muscles visible even through the T-shirt he wore. In short, one of the most gorgeous boys Tessa had ever seen.

As Tessa stared, he raised his eyebrows. "Struck dumb by my beauty?" he inquired.

Tessa was jolted back into her powers of speech. "No, I'm just unaccustomed to blatantly rude idiots accosting me in bookstores," she said frankly.

The young man laughed. "American, I see. I suppose you're all straightforward, aren't you?"

"That's one way of putting it," Tessa said warily, eyeing him.

Just then, another boy popped his head round the corner. "I thought I heard Will attacking a new victim," he said, coming fully into Tessa's line of sight. "I do apologize if he's offended you in any way."

"No, no, not at all," Tessa stammered as she took in this boy. Slimmer and slightly shorter than his companion, he had silvery hair and eyes, and an ethereal look about him. Tessa sensed a beautiful fragility about this boy, one which she'd rarely seen.

"She looks alarmed," commented the dark-haired boy. "Do you suppose she's quite well?"

"That's quite enough," the silver-haired boy reprimanded him.

"I'm sorry, who are the two of you?" Tessa asked.

"William Herondale!" the dark-haired boy declared, placing a hand to his own chest. "And I'm sure you won't ever forget me."

"Sure," Tessa snorted under her breath, which made the silver-haired boy laugh.

"I'm Jem," he introduced himself, holding his hand out for Tessa to shake.

"Tessa Gray," she returned as she shook the outstretched hand.

"Are you planning on returning to the Institute bookstore?" Jem inquired.

"I am indeed."

"Well, then you'll probably see more of us. It's Will's favourite bookstore, you see – books are his great love."

"Along with Bethany, Beverly, Brittany – " Will started to say, before Jem elbowed him.

"Well, you and I are in agreement on that matter," Tessa said. "Books are what keeps me sane sometimes."

Will looked at her. She expected him to say some sort of sharp jibe.

"Interesting," was all he said.

There was silence for a moment, and then Jem cleared his throat. "We'd better be going," he said. "We have things to do."

"I'll not stand in your way, then," Tessa smiled, stepping aside so the two boys could pass through.

As they stepped through the exit, Will turned around again. "Fare thee well, Tessa! I fully look forward to sweeping you off your feet once more next time we meet."

"Don't be too sure," Tessa called after him as he turned and disappeared from sight. Yet, as she turned back to her books, she found she had a smile on her face and couldn't stop thinking about a certain black-haired, blue-eyed individual.

**I'm sorry it's not a very long first chapter, but hopefully it sets the scene. Reviews please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I was happy with the response I got from chapter 1, so I'm brought back to you with a longer second chapter now:**

"Sophie!" Tessa knocked on her roommate's bedroom door. "I'm heading out for a walk."

There was no answer.

"Sophie!"

The door opened, and Tessa found herself face-to-face with a sandy-haired, muscular young man wearing nothing but pyjama bottoms.

"Whoa!" Tessa averted her eyes, although nothing vital had been exposed. "Gideon! Didn't know you were here."

"Oh, hi, Tessa," Gideon said, a tone of surprise in his voice.

"Move it, you big buffoon." Sophie Collins, Tessa's roommate, elbowed her way past her boyfriend and faced Tessa. "Hi, Tessa. You going out?"

"Yup," Tessa said, trying not to look at how Sophie was wearing just a pair of underpants and Gideon's button-down shirt, which was way too big for her.

"Okay. See you!" Sophie grinned as Gideon wrapped his bare arms around her waist. "We still on for dinner tonight?"

"You bet," Tessa promised.

"Great!" With one last beam, Sophie shut the door. As Tessa exited the apartment, she heard a giggle coming from Sophie's bedroom, followed by scuffling and a sigh.

**~~Page Break~~**

_Why do people insist that New York is the capital of the world?_ Tessa wondered for the umpteenth time as she entered Hyde Park.

As she strolled between the trees, Tessa pondered the question that she'd already pondered for a long time. London was so much grander than New York – it had layers upon layers of history and culture. Tessa had always been an Anglophile, even growing up in New York, and now that she'd come to London, she felt a sense of belonging that she'd never experienced "back home".

Sitting down on a park bench, Tessa closed her eyes and turned her face upwards, enjoying the sun. England was in the midst of a moderate heat wave – Tessa welcomed the sunny, warm weather as opposed to the stereotypical dreary rain she'd heard so much about. The rays of the sun warmed her face.

"Well, fancy meeting you here."

A smile was already tugging at Tessa's lips by the time she opened her eyes to face the arrogant drawl.

William Herondale stood before her, his hands in his jeans pockets, a half-smirk on his face. The pose suited him well, and clearly the other women in the park agreed – the looks of admiration they shot Will were not lost on Tessa.

"Enjoying the weather, are we?" he asked.

"We are indeed," Tessa responded, mimicking a British accent. Will winced.

"Don't ever do that again," he declared, sitting down beside her on the park bench. "You may just have insulted all of Great Britain."

"I'd like to see you do better," Tessa retorted.

Will snorted.

For a moment, there was a comfortable silence.

"What brings you to London?" Will finally asked. "You didn't tell us last time we met."

"I'm writing a novel," Tessa replied.

"You're an author?"

"It's my first novel," Tessa explained. "I wanted to set it in England."

"But why book-writing, of all professions?" Will seemed genuinely curious, so Tessa deigned to answer him.

"I used to work at a small family-owned bookstore back in New York. I grew up in an apartment above the bookstore, and learned to love books there. I used to love reading books and even selling them, and really anything to do with them – until one day I realized I wanted to _write_ them as well."

Will gazed at her, his blue eyes glittering with something undefinable. "Interesting," was all he said.

"What about you?" Tessa wanted to know. "Have you always lived in London?"

"God no. I'm from Wales. My family is still there."

"Wales!"

"Not whales," Will said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "W-A-L-E-S. It's next to England."

"I'm not stupid," Tessa said, flushing. "Why'd you come to London, then?"

"I had my reasons."

"Wouldn't you much rather live in Wales, though? I've heard it's beautiful. I did a bit of research into the UK before I came here, and Wales seems lovely. Is it true there's a lot of greenery there? Do you speak Welsh yourself?"

Will held up his hands. "Do you always ask so many questions?"

Tessa blushed. "My brother always said curiosity was my besetting sin."

Will shrugged. "Wales is beautiful, but like I said, I had my reasons for leaving. And yes, I do speak Welsh."

"Say something in Welsh."

Raising an eyebrow, Will spoke. "_Eich bod yn ddiddorol_."

"What does that mean?"

"It means 'Nice weather we're having'." Will got up and stretched. "Come and walk with me. We can explore Hyde Park."

Tessa got up and walked with him around the park. As they strolled, Tessa was aware she was attracting a lot of jealous stares from women, on the grass and the paths. She tried her best to ignore them.

"There's something that sets you apart from British girls," Will remarked as he looked at Tessa.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Something about the way you hold yourself screams _Foreigner_."

"Why, thank you very much. I'm new to this country, you know."

"I know." Will stopped, and looked up. "I take back what I said earlier. It isn't that great weather we're having."

Tessa saw that he was right – clouds were beginning to gather in the sky, and it looked like it was going to rain soon. Around her, people were recognizing the signs of impending rain and hurrying out of the park.

"I'd better go," she said. "I have laundry to do anyway."

"Wait." Will pulled out his cell phone. "Give me your number."

There was no question in the way he said it, Tessa noted as she took out her own cell phone. They exchanged numbers, and then Tessa turned and hopped on board a double-decker bus, pulled out her iPod and placed her earphones in her ears.

She had no way of knowing how Will's eyes followed the bus until it vanished out of sight around the corner.

**To any Welsh speakers reading this story, I do apologize for any grammatical errors as I don't speak Welsh myself. To those readers who don't speak Welsh, please don't go to Google Translate, as I plan on coming back to this one Welsh sentence.  
****Apart from that, please review and let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! **

"Table for two, please."

Sophie giggled as she sat down at the table. "I love Italian food! I haven't eaten it in ages."

Tessa waved her hand. "Just wait till you try Italian food in New York. There're a lot of things I like about London more than I like about New York, but Italian food's not one of them."

"I've never been to the United States," Sophie said wistfully as she flipped open her menu.

"I'll take you sometime," Tessa promised.

The two of them ordered their pastas, and then settled down for a good, long chat.

Tessa liked Sophie. Sophie was the reason she was in London, actually. Tessa hadn't been able to afford to rent an apartment on her own, so she'd put out an advertisement for a roommate. No one had answered, and Tessa was about to give up all hope of ever moving to England when Sophie suddenly popped up. Even on the phone, they'd hit it off immediately, and just a month later they met for the first time and moved into the same apartment – sorry, flat.

And they'd been living together for two months now.

"I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to show you London the way I promised," Sophie apologized. "It's just I've been busy and – "

"No, no, it's cool," Tessa interrupted. "I've been getting to know London myself. I think I need to explore the city myself and become familiar with it before I can even think about writing a novel set here."

"Well, good," Sophie beamed. "Have you discovered anything?"

Tessa didn't even have to think. "The Institute Bookstore."

Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "I know that place! I used to go there all the time. I don't often find the time to go there now, but I do love going there when I can."

Tessa thought about her next question carefully, but decided to ask it anyway. "Soph, have you ever come across a couple of boys at the Institute Bookstore?"

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Plenty, in fact."

"Have you ever met William Herondale and Jem – " Tessa paused as she realized she didn't know Jem's last name.

"Jem Carstairs," Sophie supplied. "Yes, I do know them. I have met them. Why do you ask?"

Tessa noted that Sophie's expression had become somewhat more guarded. "Well, I just wanted to know what you thought of them. I've met them myself and they seem nice."

"Jem _is_ nice," Sophie confirmed. "In fact, he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met." She smiled, and leaned forward. "I'll admit," she whispered conspiratorially, "that I used to have a crush on him." Sitting back in her seat, she beamed at Tessa. "But that was too long ago, and now I have Gideon."

"And what about Will?"

Sophie's smile faded. "He isn't nearly as nice," she said, a touch of venom in her voice.

Tessa blinked at the sudden change in countenance. "What do you mean?"

"He's the sort of boy mothers warn their little daughters about," Sophie continued, leaning forward. "I'm your friend, and you've asked me to give you my opinion. Well, this is it."

"Okay," said Tessa, still a little befuddled.

"Will Herondale is trouble, Tessa. Everyone in this area knows who he is, and what he does. He spends every night at some girl's apartment, each one different. He never stays at the same girl's place twice. Because of the way he looks, he always gets what he wants, but he can never get enough from any girl."

Tessa looked down. "He didn't seem that way to me."

"Maybe not. But he hasn't got you yet, has he? Just wait, Tessa. He'll reveal his true colours soon enough."

Sophie fiddled with her thumbs, then said, "You know how poisonous frogs in the rainforest are the most beautiful? The prettier it is to look at, the deadlier its poison. Will Herondale is exactly like that. Don't go near him, Tessa – for your own sake."

Tessa nodded, and Sophie's smile returned. "Now – let's talk about happier things."

**~~Page Break~~**

Tessa stepped into her bedroom and gladly changed into her pyjamas. No sooner had she done so when her cell phone buzzed.

_Will Herondale_.

Despite what she'd heard from Sophie earlier, Tessa picked up her phone.

_Hey, Tessa. Wanna head out to dinner tomorrow?_

Tessa paused. She knew she should just ignore the text, or at least make up some excuse why she couldn't go. But Tessa was an impulsive girl. She wouldn't be in London if she hadn't been impulsive. So her fingers tapped out a reply.

_Six o'clock, Harrods?_

The reply came seconds later:

_Sounds good, but make it six thirty. It isn't effortless, you know, being this beautiful. See you then_.

Tessa smiled at the reply.

It was just dinner, wasn't it? Maybe this would allow her to see Will's "true colours", as Sophie had put it. The question was: was this a date?

Was Will Herondale asking her out on a date?

Confusion bubbled through Tessa's mind, and she shook her head. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Did she care?

Probably, to be honest.

To clear her mind, Tessa sat down at her desk with her laptop and opened up a Word document. She thought for a moment, and then typed out the first few words of her first novel:

_The Subtle Bookstore_.

**I wanted Sophie to warn Tessa off Will in this story just as she did in the book. Hope you like this chapter! Please leave me a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in a while - but I'm here now!**

Knightsbridge Station wasn't large, but it took Tessa a while to find the right exit to get to Harrods all the same.

She did find it, though, and hurried out to stand in front of the main entrance.

She checked her watch – she wasn't late. Good. She hated being late.

The minutes ticked by, and Tessa waited outside Harrods. Six thirty came, and Tessa looked around.

No sign of Will anywhere.

Six thirty-five. Six forty. Just as Tessa was about to give up and head back into the station, Will appeared at six forty-two.

"Sorry I'm late," he said by way of greeting. "I took a bus, and traffic was a bitch."

Tessa smiled. "It's okay," she said. "I don't mind."

They stood for a moment, and then Tessa gestured at Harrods. "Do you want to go in?"

"No, no. We won't be eating inside Harrods tonight. There's a far better restaurant around the corner."

Tessa raised her eyebrows as Will led her away. "If you say so."

**~~Page Break~~**

"This _is_ a far better restaurant," Tessa exclaimed as she wiped her mouth.

It was a small Italian restaurant right next to Harrods, with outdoor seating – a very European thing to do. Will and Tessa were seated on the sidewalk, watching London go by.

"I told you that you wouldn't be disappointed," Will chuckled.

"I take back what I said to Sophie earlier today about Italian food in New York being better than in London," Tessa announced. "I will go home and tell her that Italian food here is just as good as across the pond."

"I'm glad we've managed to live up to your high standards," Will responded, raising an eyebrow.

Tessa sighed. They lapsed into comfortable silence.

"Should we pay?" Tessa asked.

"Oh, right. Of course."

They paid, and then they were on their way. They strolled around Knightsbridge, enjoying the city at dusk.

"You're so far from home," Will said to Tessa. "You don't miss it at all?"

"No, I don't," Tessa responded. "I love London."

"That's what you said last time I saw you, in Hyde Park."

"Yeah? Well, it's the truth."

Will thought for a second. "I don't believe you. You must miss New York. You can't grow up in a place and then not miss it when you move to a country on the other side of the ocean."

Tessa raised her eyebrows.

"Am I right?"

Tessa sighed. "Well, okay. I have mixed feelings about New York."

"And why is that, Miss Gray?"

"I love the city. It's a part of me. I love London, too, but you're right – New York is deeply ingrained in who I am. But the reason I have mixed feelings about New York isn't because of the city itself – it's because of the people I left behind."

Will was silent. Then, "Oh," he said.

"My aunt Harriet recently passed away. She raised me, and it was a horrible blow."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yes, well, she was getting on in years, you know, and she'd accepted her imminent death. She died in her sleep, so it wasn't the worst way to go. Anyway, I told you that I was working at a family-owned bookstore, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we owned the place, and it was a steady flow of income, I suppose, but I was getting really, really bored. I wanted to write books, but I felt trapped. I didn't think I could write a book in a Brooklyn bookstore. I wasn't inspired. I even started to hate the bookstore – to me, the responsibility of running it was the obstacle that was preventing me from pursuing my dreams. It was effectively my prison, if you can imagine that. I didn't think I'd ever say that about a bookstore, but there I just did." Tessa sighed. "Eventually, I was on the verge of giving up the idea of ever becoming an author. Then, my brother returned to New York."

"You have a brother?"

"I do indeed. His name's Nate. He'd been away for years in Las Vegas, gambling away his money. Anyway, he came back to ask me for more. I told him he had to get his priorities straight and get his life in shape. And I gave up my job at the bookstore for him."

"What?"

"Yes. I gave up running the bookstore. I was liberated at last and free to make plans to leave New York. And I came to London."

"So that's why you came to London."

"My brother hated me for it. He hated me for forcing him to run the bookstore when he'd much rather be in Vegas ruining himself. I told him it was for his own good, but he called me a self-righteous bitch." Tessa looked down. "That was my last day in New York. The next day, I left for London. I haven't been back home since, and I haven't talked to Nate since."

Will was silent. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah," Tessa sighed. "I'm estranged from the only living family member I have left."

By now, the sun had set on London, and the only illumination in the streets came from streetlamps. For a few moments, the two of them were silent.

"What's your story?" Tessa asked Will.

"My story?"

"Yes, your story. Why you left Wales. Who you left behind."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on," Tessa said laughingly. "I just opened up to you about the circumstances about why I left New York. Come on, tell me your story."

Will shook his head. "No."

Tessa didn't notice the tight set of his jaw – after all, curiosity was her besetting sin.

"Okay, then I'll try to guess it. Let's see – you have siblings."

Will was quiet.

"Sisters?"

No response.

"And your parents are – "

Will turned on her. "I don't have sisters," he practically hissed. "And I'll thank you not to inquire into my private life after I explicitly state I don't want to have it pried into." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Bye, Tessa," he said gruffly, and he turned. Tessa tried to follow, but he had already disappeared in the thickening shadows of the London evening.

**I wanted Tessa to have some history. Also, the part in Clockwork Princess where Will just leaves Tessa hanging - I don't know, it was a powerful moment for me. Anyway, please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hiya! Sorry for not updating in a while, but I'm back now:**

The bell above the door tinkled softly.

Tessa stepped into the Institute Bookstore. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of paper, and sighed in satisfaction.

After Will had left her standing awkwardly on the streets of Knightsbridge, she'd had to make her own way home. She hadn't told Sophie about their dinner – she didn't need Sophie saying "I told you so". She also wasn't surprised when Will didn't call or text or attempt to make contact with her whatsoever. That was exactly what she had expected to happen.

A few days had passed, and Tessa had made progress on her novel. It was coming along surprisingly well now. Of course, the fact that Tessa had used many autobiographical elements in writing it was totally irrelevant.

Now, she ran her hands over the bookshelves.

"Hi, Tessa."

Jem stood at the end of the bookshelf, with a soft smile on his face. The ceiling light shone directly down on him, and his silvery hair shone. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Likewise," Tessa responded, smiling. "How've you been keeping?"

"I'm doing well, thank you." Jem dipped his head. "I wasn't expecting anyone to come in here."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's a quiet bookstore. A friend of mine, Charlotte Fairchild, runs it, but she's not in town today, so I'm helping her man the bookstore."

Tessa smiled. "That's nice of you. I'm back here because – well, I don't know where else to go. I don't know London well enough yet."

"It's hard adjusting to a new home," Jem said sympathetically. "I know exactly what you mean."

"You're not originally from London?"

"Try Shanghai."

"Shanghai!"

"Yup. My mother was Chinese, my father British. They were killed in a car accident when I was twelve. That's when I came to England to be raised by my uncle." Jem smiled shyly. "I've been here ever since."

"And I thought I was exotic," Tessa muttered, and Jem laughed. "Do you ever miss Shanghai?"

Jem nodded. "It's my hometown. The culture, the food, the energy – it's all completely different from here."

"And is that a good or bad thing?"

"London is a beautiful city," Jem responded. "I've learned to love it. I can show you how to love it too."

Tessa grinned. "We should hang out sometime."

"That was what I was suggesting," Jem said.

Tessa laughed as Jem pulled out his phone. They exchanged phone numbers, and Jem tucked his phone back into his pocket. Tessa noticed that he used a brand of smartphone she'd never seen before.

"I should probably get back to work," Jem said with a shy smile. "There's a lot of cataloguing to do."

"Of course." Tessa backed towards the exit. "I'll see you around, Jem."

Jem waved goodbye as Tessa stepped out onto the streets again. Tessa didn't know why, but she felt a lot more cheerful than when she'd stepped into the bookstore.

**~~Page Break~~**

Will looked up as Jem stepped into the flat they shared. "What's with the smile on your face?"

"Am I smiling?" Jem inquired as he headed into the bathroom.

"Yeah, you are." Will looked back down at the _Playboy_ magazine he was wearing. "What happened today?"

"Nothing. I just ran the bookstore for Charlotte." Jem stepped back out of the bathroom, now shirtless, only to disappear into his bedroom.

"That doesn't usually put a smile on your face like that. Come on, tell me. What's up?" Will grinned.

Having retrieved a pair of boxers, Jem stepped back into the living room. "Ah, I don't know," he said. "I'm being silly."

"Now I have to know."

Jem hesitated. "Tessa came into the bookstore today."

Will felt his grin waver. "Is that so?"

"Yup." Jem headed back into the bathroom, and Will heard him turn on the shower water. "She seems like a really awesome girl."

The bathroom door closed, and Will let the magazine slide down onto his lap.

Why was he so bothered by this news? It was Jem, for heaven's sake. He loved Jem, like the brother he'd never had. Jem was his other half – they'd both come to London, alone and friendless, both twelve years old. They met each other in the Institute Bookstore when they both reached for the same book. They'd never been apart since that day.

And what did Tessa mean to Will, anyway? They'd met two or three times. Nothing major. Will had kind of blown her off when she asked about his family, though.

Will clenched his fists. She'd learn not to ask about his family.

Pulling out his phone, he clicked on the Contacts page and scrolled down to Tessa's name. His thumb wavered over it for a few seconds.

The bathroom door opened, and Will quickly put his phone down.

Jem, wrapped in just a towel, peered out from the steamy bathroom. "Do you know where the new bottle of shampoo is?"

"Open the closet, to the left," Will responded. Jem nodded and disappeared back into the bathroom.

Will slowly placed his phone back in his pocket, and then resumed reading the magazine. He didn't touch his phone for the rest of the evening.

**Reviews please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating in almost three weeks - school has kept me really busy. But, recent events in Hong Kong mean that I've had a couple free days from school, which gave me time to write this:**

The novel was finally starting to take shape. Satisfied with what she'd done so far, Tessa sat back. After a few weeks of deliberation, she'd finally chosen a name for the heroine of her book: Alba. It wasn't a very conventional name, but Tessa had looked it up, and it meant _dawn_ in Spanish and Italian, apparently. Tessa liked that.

She got up and stretched, then ambled to the fridge for a drink. That was when her phone vibrated.

A text from Will.

_Hey, Tess. Wanna hang out?_

Will hadn't made any sort of contact with her since the day he'd left her standing in Knightsbridge. That had been one and a half weeks ago now. Tessa was extremely temped to leave the text message and let it go unseen. But that wasn't really in her nature.

_Now?!_

_Yes, now_, Will responded. _There's no time like the present_.

_I'm busy with my novel. I can't_.

_Great, so eight o'clock, yeah? See you at the Institute_.

Tessa snorted as she poured herself a glass of milk.

_It would be really funny_, she thought to herself as she headed back into her room, _if I just stood Will up tonight, and didn't show up. That would be funny to witness_.

This she thought as she sat down at her laptop again and resumed work on her book. At seven thirty, she got up and dressed. At seven forty-five, she left the apartment, and by seven fifty-five she was waiting outside the Institute.

This time, Will wasn't late. He showed up at eight o'clock on the dot.

"Good evening, Miss Gray," he declared as he bowed to her in typical British fashion. "Might I interest you in a fun evening?"

"You may," Tessa replied, extending her arm for him to take. Will took it and they swept away in the manner of an upper-class Victorian couple.

**~~Page Break~~**

All through dinner, Tessa made no reference to their last meeting and the abrupt way Will had left her – she had a feeling he wouldn't have thanked her for it.

"How was your linguine?" Will asked as the waiter took the plate away.

"It was very nice, thank you," Tessa sighed, sitting back. "And now I feel like a whale."

Will snorted. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't say that sort of thing. I don't like it when girls say they're fat or that they're whales or something. I don't like it when they can't see how beautiful they really are."

Tessa dipped her head. Had Will just called her beautiful? Despite her best efforts, she felt a blush seeping through and colouring her cheeks red.

"Anyway," Will went on, "let's take a walk."

"Okay."

So they got the check and paid for it, and left.

Tessa would never cease to admire London's beauty. As they walked past Marble Arch, she commented to Will, "How do you suppose the Victorians built structures like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like they had bulldozers or computers or anything, really, to help them. I don't even know if they had proper blueprints. How did they manage it?"

Will shrugged. "They were probably just some very determined bastards."

"That's an odd way of putting it."

Will chuckled. "Or maybe they just had something worth building for."

Tessa let herself think about that for a minute before agreeing, "There is that."

They walked into Hyde Park and strolled under the trees.

"Central Park isn't like this, you know," Tessa told Will. "It's got trees, and it's bigger, but – I don't know, it's not the same."

"You still missing New York?"

"I never really missed New York to begin with," Tessa reminded him. "Why would I miss New York when there's London to explore?"

They walked in silence for a little while. Tessa noticed that the trees were getting thicker here, and there weren't as many people on the paths.

Over by a cluster of trees and shrubs, a group of young men stood and laughed. Clearly, they were drunk, judging by the way they sauntered around in circles and hiccupped. As Tessa and Will drew closer, one of them spotted Tessa.

"Hey, pretty lady!" he called, leering at Tessa. "Ditch black hair and come have a drink with us!"

"Ignore them," Tessa whispered to Will, who had tensed. "They mean nothing by it."

"Come over here, darling!" the same man called. His buddies had all noticed by now and were watching with interest. The man broke away from his friends and came towards Will and Tessa.

"Go away," Tessa called to him as he drew closer. "You're not welcome."

"American!" the drunk exclaimed, slurring his words. "Well, I've never screwed an American before. Care to come to town on my Yankee Doodle Dandy?"

Will told the man to do something rather ungentlemanly, and the man's eyebrows shut up.

"Black hair's got attitude!"

Tessa watched with increasing unease as Will squared off to this challenger.

"I don't like it when cowards harass women," Will said quietly.

"And what're you going to do about it?" the man laughed, still slurring his words. He put up his hands. "Come on, big boy."

Will regarded him impassively. Then he swung back his fist and socked the man beautifully in the nose.

Tessa's hands flew up to her face. "Will!"

The harasser was holding his nose. Will followed up by punching him the eye. The man groaned, and stumbled backwards.

"Will, let's go," Tessa pleaded when she saw that his friends had stopped laughing and were now approaching. "We can't win this."

Will looked up and saw the approaching group of drunken hooligans, and nodded. "Let's go."

Once they were safely out of Hyde Park and had left the drunks far behind them, Will looked at Tessa. "Are you okay?"

Tessa gaped. "Am I okay? I should be asking you that question! Will, what were you thinking?"

Will shrugged. "They were insulting you."

"You didn't have to do that for me!"

"Yes I did. I don't like it when people insult my girlfriend."

Tessa was brought up short. _Girlfriend_? Her heart started beating about ten times faster.

Will glanced at his watch, and winced. "It's pretty late – I have to go, Tess."

"Okay," Tessa said numbly.

Will looked at her shell-shocked expression and grinned. "Hey. I'll see you later, okay?" Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek. With that, he straightened up, turned and left.

Tessa's hand found its way her to her cheek, and she held the spot where he had kissed her. The edges of her mouth twitched upwards in a goofy grin. Then, she, too, turned, and made her way home, humming softly under her breath.

**I must've rewritten this chapter ten million times, but I was never satisfied with it. Ultimately, this is the version that made me happiest. What did you guys think? Please review!**


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